Insulating trolley-wire support



(No Model.)

F. M. ZIMMBRMAN'. INSULATING TROLLEY WIRE. SUPPORT.

No. 524,232. Patented Aug. '7, 1894.

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UNITED t STATES;

PATENT FRANK M ZYIMMERMAN, or: DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

INSULATING TROLLELY VVI'R'E SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent I\To. 524,232, dated August7, 1894.

Application filed November 2, 1893. Serial No.489,814- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.troit, county of Wayne,

Be it known that I, FRANK M. ZIMMERMAN, a c1tizen of the UnitedStates,-residing at De State of Michigan, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Insulating Trolleyire Supports; and I declarethe following to bea full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specifica- 10D.

This invention relates to insulating sup-' ports for trolley wires orother uninsulated electric conducting wires, and has for its specialobject the production of an insulating support that, while being aperfect insulator, will support the electric conducting wire very firmlyagainst the strain placed upon it by the running of a trolley under orover it, and t also supports the wire by means such that the trolley hasperfect freedom of movement along the wire in passing the support.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the support in sectional elevation. Fig.2 is a plan of the insulating partas seen from below, the lowerinsulating plate being removed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. 1 The entiresupport is made of the insulatng cap A, a stirrup B, and a saddle O. Thelnsulating part A is made with an outer cup shaped or cap shaped shella, provided with suitable internal ledges b and c,-t0 hold the plates ofinsulating material, d and Z. Of these plates of insulating material,there are two or more, the inner one of which, d, is

' placed against the ledge b, and is held in place against it by anumber of lugs e that are bent over the edge of the disk 61 after it hasbeen placed against the ledge b. The insulating disk d is provided witha central perforation, within which is secured the screw threaded nut f.This nut is secured to the disk 01 in the same way that the disk at issecured in the 7 cap a; that is, the nutfis surrounded with acircumferential flange g above the disk, and with a flange or lugs itthat are bent outward over the disk 01, and burnished or hammered downto hold the disk tightly between the lugs h and the flange g. Theinsulating disk Z rests against the flange c, andis held in place by acollar 8 on the saddle piece 0. It is prefdrops from the outside of theinsulator toward or to the saddle or stirrup.

The saddle piece 0 is made with two depending wings, w, w, each of whichis provided with a groove on its under side, within which theupper halfof the bight'of wire to be held byitrests. The grooved part bet weentheextreme ends-of the wings w w rise quite sharply upward, so that thecontact part of the wings with the wire is confined to asmall portion ateach end.

The stem or body part F of the saddleO is provided with a perforationterminating at its upper end with a fiat tabular part S that forms ashoulder around the screw rising from the stirrup part, and serves tosupport the disk Z and hold that disk firmly in place against the ledgec.

The stirrup piece 13 is made of a single piece of metal bent intoa loop,the ends of the part together forming a split screw F, and the lowerpart, which may be considered as a head of the split screw, being drawnoutiuto along cross head having a cross slot within which is receivedthe wire. The extreme ends of the cross head H are worked to a thinedge, from which within the slot the metal rises in a curve, for thedouble purpose of' giving strength to the stirrup and of forcing thewire threaded th rough the stirrup to bend slightly over the curve h andunder thegrip ping ends of the wings to w. This form of grip effectuallyprevents the line wire from slipping endwise through the stirrup. Thesplit form of the screw threaded bolt part of the stirrup permits thestirrup to be placed on the wire without difficulty and without it beingnecessary to draw the wire through it. It also enables me to useastirrupwhose gripping part is unbroken at its point of contact withthe'wire, thus enabling me to make the surface of the support that comesin contact with the running trolley "ery smooth, so as to produce noobstruction. I

The curved form of the inner surface of the stirrup causes the wire thatis supported by it to bend upward in a short bight as it passes over thestirrup, and the under side of the stirrup J being straight, produces apractically smooth, straight surface for the trolley.

to travel upon in passing the support.

The parts are held together by the screw F and the nut f, and these arescrewed firmly together after the stirrup has been put in place andbefore the entire insulating sup-. port is finally caught onto'the crosswires commonly used to hold the trolley wire in its elevated position.

From each side of theinsulating cap a extends an arm R, terminating witha hook 7', one of these hooks being turned to one side and the other tothe opposite side of its respective arm. The plane of the hooks isslightly below the upper surface of the cap A, and a shallow groovecrosses the upper surface of the cap A, and after the cap has beenscrewed down to place on thebolt F, the entire insulator is attached toan elevated Wire crossing the trolley wire by hooking the hooks 1" overthe wire and gripping the wire' between the hooks and the cap.

The double insulated disks d and Z form a very complete protectionagainst the loss of electricity under all circumstances, I especially dothey insulate it against leakage produced by the moistureincidenttowetweather.

Inasmuch as I am enabled to use in the construction of this insulator aplate for the. disk Z, which, while a good insulator, has not sufficientstrength to withstand the wear required; and for the plate 01, amaterial which has the requisite strength and has the requisiteinsulating properties while dry,but which is liable to lose itsinsulating properties or become deteriorated if subjected to'wet. The

the upper surface of insulating disk Z keeps the inner and stronger disk01 dry, and prevents its deterioration from moisture, and enables metoutilize its qualities of strength in sustaining the strain upon it inholding the saddle and stirrup in place.

What I claim is- 1; In an insulating trolley wire support, thecombination of an outer shell, a central screw threaded nut secured to,but spaced from,

.said shell by an insulating disk, a supporting stirrup engaging withsaid nut, and a saddle piece adapted to form a grip therewith,substantially as described.

2. In an insulating wire support, the combination of an outer shell, acentral screw threaded nut secured to, but spaced from, the shell by aninsulating disk, a stirrup piece havingalong supporting part extendingalong the wire, and having its sides bentupward and terminating inthreaded parts, each part forming the half of a split bolt, a perforatedsaddle piece adaptedto be traversed by the split bolt thus formed, andto be held in place by the interaction of the split bolt and insulatednut, substantially as described.

3. In an insulating trolley wire support, the combination of a cupprovided with interior ledges and with lugs e adapted to be turned overand secured upon an insulating disk d, and an interiorly threaded screwf provided zwith an exterior flange g, and the lugs: h

adapted to be turned over an insulating disk, and a stirrup terminatedbolt adapted to engage said nut and support the trolley wire therefrom,substantially as described.

4. In a trolley wire support, the combination of a shell a, a centralscrew threaded nut secured to but spaced from the shell or by an

